October 4, 2013 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch Page 31 Regional Digest Mayor Proposes Employee Pay Hike SALISBURY – Salisbury employees will see their wages increased after months of research and debate if Mayor Jim Ireton Jr. has his way. Ireton announced on Wednesday that after an exhaustive analysis of the proposed Evergreen Pay and Classification study he is proposing the complete funding of the recommended compensation increases to city employees. The increases were formulated based on the recent study conducted by Evergreen Solutions Inc. in collaboration with the city’s Internal Services and Human Resources Department with input from city department heads. The mayor’s plan provides a framework for increased revenues and decreased expenditures in order to offset the compensation increase. The framework includes bond debt service reductions, Capital Improvement Plan reductions and an increase in fire inspection revenue. “Over the past five years, our employees bore the brunt of the downturn in the economy and we owe them,” said Ireton. “This plan looks out over the next several years, proposes to use less surplus in budgets moving forward and compensates every single employee. I look forward to answering questions and discussing this with the City Council.” Welcome Corvettes OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY NOON SATURDAY-SUNDAY 11 A.M. 28TH ST. PLAZA 410-289-3100 WWW.COINSPUB.COM NFL FOOD AND DRINK SPECIALS 5 Big Screens To Watch Your Nascar Action Buzztime • Keno IT’S BACK! 1/2-PRICE ENTREES Every Sunday, Tuesday And Thursday All specials are not valid with any other offers. Add $4 for each crab and all steak dishes. Dinner available with purchase of beverage. No carry-out. (Some Restrictions Apply) Suicide Walk Doubles Money Raised Total OCEAN CITY – The 2nd Annual Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Ocean City last weekend held to raise awareness and support for local suicide prevention programs raised more than $35,000 this year, doubling its fundraising efforts for the inaugural walk. About 300 people participated in the Out of the Darkness Community Walk on the Boardwalk in Ocean City last Saturday to raise awareness about suicide prevention and mental illness. The outreach and fundraising effort supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the leading national non-profit exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy. The organization reaches out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide. The Ocean City Out of the Darkness Community Walk was sponsored by the Jesse Klump Memorial Fund, Worcester County Health Department and Core Service Agency, Atlantic General Hospital, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Life Crisis Center, Worcester County Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention Program and other local partners. HAPPY HOUR DAILY 3 P.M.-6 P.M. FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS EARLY BIRD DAILY 4 P.M.-6 P.M. SPECIAL DINNER MENU MONDAY 6 P.M.-9 P.M. 1/2-PRICE BURGERS AND CHEESEBURGERS (Some Restrictions Apply) WEDNESDAY (WHILE IT LASTS) PRIME RIB $15.99 Kitchen Fire Safety Urged OCEAN CITY – In an effort to kick off Fire Prevention Week, which runs from Oct. 6-12, the Ocean City Fire Department this week announced it is joining forces with the National Fire Protection Association to remind local residents and visitors to prevent kitchen fires. During Fire Prevention Week next week, firefighters and safety advocates will be spreading the word about the dangers of kitchen fires, most of which result from unattended cooking. Fire safety officials are also getting the word out about teaching local residents and visitors to prevent kitchen fires from starting in the first place. According to the latest NFPA research, cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Two out of every five home fires begin in the kitchen, more than any other place in the home. Cooking fires are also the leading cause of home fire-related injuries. “When we are called to a fire that started in the kitchen, many times we hear the resident say they only left the kitchen for a few minutes,” said Ocean City Deputy Chief Fire Marshal David Hartley. “Sadly, that is all it takes for a dangerous fire to start. We hope that Fire Prevention Week will help us reach folks in the community before they’ve suffered a damaging lesson.” Crab Pot Grant Awarded OCEAN CITY – The Maryland Coastal Bays Program has been awarded a $500 community outreach grant from the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore to expand its ghost crab pot and turtle excluder program. Crab pots in the waters in and around the coastal bays attract diamondback turtles and many enter the traps and cannot get back out. Many crab pots are now fitted with a turtle excluder, which allows turtles to get back out, but many “ghost pots,” or those long abandoned but still in the coastal bays are not. Without a turtle excluder, turtles get into the pots to eat the bait but drown when they can’t get back out. MCBP volunteers will be contacting local crab pot vendors to see if their pots include turtle excluders. If not, the volunteers will ask to attach the excluders and include an outreach brochure explaining their importance. Funds from the $5,000 Community Foundation grant will be used to remove abandoned pots from the bays and to produce the brochure and a public service announcement about the importance of the excluders. Anyone interested in participating in the project is urged to contact the MCBP’s Sandi Smith at 410-213-2297.